With the House and Senate adjourning instead of forwarding a proposed constitutional amendment banning oil drilling in Florida waters, candidates for statewide office promptly offered their opinions on the Legislature’s quick session.

“To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement,” said Gov. Charlie Crist, who had called the Legislature into the special session. “I can’t believe the Legislature has shirked their duty so badly.”

Speaking to the media on Tuesday afternoon, minutes after the Senate voted to adjourn, Crist offered both chambers of the Legislature heavy criticism.

“I call this Legislature the ‘do-nothing Legislature’ and I’m going to give them hell for it,” said Crist, who invoked President Harry S. Truman’s quotes of the “do-nothing Congress” and “give them hell.”

Comparing the Legislature refusing to hold a vote on the proposed amendment to the leadership’s refusal to amend Senate Bill 6, a measure to reform teacher merit pay that the governor vetoed, Crist singled out the House for limiting debate over whether to adjourn.

“It is embarrassing to watch,” said Crist. “It is clearly the excess of arrogance of power. They’ve lost their way.”

Asked if he would call them back into session, Crist replied, “Why? They’ve proven that they’ve failed.”

Crist also said he did not think holding another special in September, which is being backed by Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, would accomplish anything.

“This issue is front and center,” said Crist. “If they can’t make a decision now, when will they make a decision?”

Asked if voters should throw out the leadership of both houses, Crist said, “Why wouldn’t you? They sure didn’t do their jobs!”

Crist, who left the Republicans to continue his bid for the U.S. Senate as an independent, was not the only candidate for statewide office to comment on the quick special session.

Rick Scott, the health-care executive who is now the front-runner to win the Republican gubernatorial nomination, was also critical of the Legislature, but for a different reason. Ignoring the oil ban altogether, Scott hammered the Legislature for not doing anything about illegal immigration. 

“Instead of using the special session for something productive, the career politicians in Tallahassee have yet again wasted taxpayer dollars for a political stunt,” said Scott. "I called upon the Legislature to take up one of the biggest problems facing our state – illegal immigration – by passing an Arizona-style immigration law, but the legislators instead chose to avoid the tough issues and go home.

“We need new blood in our capital to bring results to the people of Florida, not more professional politicians running up a massive tab at the taxpayers’ expense to try to score political points,” added Scott.

Attorney General Bill McCollum, Scott’s chief rival for the Republican nomination and a close ally of the leadership in the Legislature, expressed support for Atwater’s and Cretul’s call for a September session.

“The Deepwater Horizon disaster has and will continue to have a profound impact on families, businesses, and residents of Florida, particularly in Northwest Florida,” said McCollum. “We need to focus on the immediate needs of coastal communities, including provisions for tax relief and coordinated cleanup measures.

“Over the next few weeks, the Legislature will be preparing for a special session that will provide meaningful relief for our citizens, and I look forward to working with legislative leaders to see this goal accomplished,” added McCollum.

“Charlie Crist’s meltdown at today’s press conference embodies everything that is wrong about government today,” said Joe Pounder, a spokesman for former House Speaker Marco Rubio who is the leading Republican candidate in the race for the U.S. Senate. “Instead of presenting solutions, he points fingers and blames others. In the 92 days since the Gulf Oil spill, Crist has yet to present one idea that would actually help Florida’s Gulf Coast recover.”

Democrats were much more critical of the Legislature.

State CFO Alex Sink, the likely Democratic gubernatorial nominee, was critical of the gavel-and-go tactic.